No need to wait for the next “Avatar” movie to go under the sea in a big-picture spectacle — ok, you won’t be going under the sea, but it will be close enough and very decadent.
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort is going big for the holidays. The Raa Atoll hideaway has revealed its 2025 festive theme — “Atlantis: The Lost Kingdom” — a property-wide slate of culinary, wellness, family and arts programming that runs through Christmas and New Year’s and leans into the resort’s Indian Ocean setting and sustainability credentials.
The marquee draw is a 12-day residency by Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens, who will take over the overwater Lighthouse restaurant for two distinct multi-course tasting menus across four gala evenings. Aikens will also host an intimate cooking class, curate a one-night-only private yacht dinner for two under the stars, and close with a beachside buffet experience.
Arts programming gets equal billing. UK artist Florence Super, known for marine-inspired murals and works made from recycled materials, will lead five guest workshops before debuting an on-island exhibition with select pieces for sale. On the wellness front, physiotherapist Emma Diani will serve as visiting practitioner from December 15 through February 15, 2026, and is offering posture work, pain relief and movement restoration alongside the resort’s over-water AVI Spa, which features holistic treatments, Maldivian-inspired therapies and a green-coffee body sculpting ritual.
Families aren’t sidelined, either. Sharky & George return to run Planet Trekkers Kids Club with treasure hunts, crafts and “pool Olympics,” plus kids’ cooking classes, gingerbread workshops, pirate cruises, fashion shows and more. Planet Trekkers’ ages 4–12 program layers in mini-expeditions and Indian Ocean learning for budding marine biologists. Evenings bring live music from Jazzubeat The Band and DJ sets by DJ Levi.
Despite the tropical backdrop, classic traditions remain. Expect a Christmas-tree lighting, surprise Santa sightings, and “Poseidon’s Banquet” gala dinners. Christmas Eve features sunset cocktails and a grand dinner under the stars; New Year’s Eve adds ethereal ballet performances channeling Atlantis, fireworks, dancing and a late-night beach celebration to ring in 2026.
Location is part of the pitch: set on the southern tip of Raa Atoll on the edge of a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and near a juvenile manta aggregation spot, the resort partners with The Manta Trust and runs waste-reduction and recycling programs. Festive season activities will spotlight the sea with scuba diving, seabobbing, coral-line adoptions, stargazing with Resident Astronomer Aleks, and ocean-themed art.
For inquiries and reservations, please visit the property website or email [email protected].
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